DEXTER Season 5 Discussion & Spoilers

The new season starts tonight. After the incredible Trinity Killer arc started last season, this show has been on a roll.

The aftermath of Rita's death ensues. A funeral is held for her and Dexter has to explain to Astor and Cody what has happened to their mother. Meanwhile, Joey Quinn starts investigating Dexter for the death of his wife.

Wow, that was as intense as I'd hoped. They sure upped the stakes further than I would have guessed with Dexter acting so damn guilty and drawing suspicion upon himself, and then him murdering that jackass in the bathroom, which is the most off-the-Code thing he's done so far.

We shouldn't overlook the gravity of that event. Until now, his worst offenses have been a) killing a pedophile who arguably wasn't an ongoing threat; b) killing a guy in self-defense in a situation that wouldn't have happened if Dexter hadn't been stalking someone else and c) killing an innocent photographer who he decided was guilty mainly because he just didn't like the guy.

But this wasn't a borderline case or an accident. Dexter deliberately murdered someone who he had no reason to suspect of anything more sinister than a bad personality. Even worse, it happened as a result of an emotional outburst, which he took as a sign of that he should return to his family?!? That's some disturbingly skewed logic. To become human is to become a threat to everyone around him. It doesn't look like the writers have forgotten the core logic of this premise, even if Dexter is now on a dangerous and delusional path.

I've been hoping for a happy ending for Dex after this season or the next, when I figure they need to end the series. But if this is an indication of things to come, the writers might plan to have Dexter spiral so far out of control that nothing but a tragic ending is plausible.

Why does Quinn always look so pissed off? It's like every scene he's in he looks pissed off about something. I suspect Quinn will look into Dexter on his own. I wonder how that'll end up. Will Dexter have to kill him? or do they team up in the end? Lots of different things could happen. I'm sure they'll come up with something better than I can imagine.

Great episode tonight. This may be the best premiere of the show so far.

Excellent start. I figured they were probably going to play Dexter into a spiral but to take it so far already was pretty shocking. Dexter has dug himself a pretty deep hole with his off-the-code murder of that jackass and his strange behavior towards the FBI and his family. One can only hope that he was able to dispose of the crime scene properly after his post-kill rally. He had the boat nearby, so maybe he was able to dispose of the body unseen. I think this is not at all certain based on his state of mind at the time however. I hope they'll come back to this, otherwise the details will continue to nag at me.

I'm enjoying the use of Harry at this point in the storyline. Dexter needs a co-conspirator, and so he imagines one in the form of his father. Yet this Harry is not really speaking as his father any more, and is increasingly starting to sound more and more like Dexter himself, speaking the things that Dexter is not yet willing to admit to himself consciously. It will be interesting to see how far they go with this.

I thought the flashback as goodbye scene for Rita was touching and well played.

Everyone acts like the events of last season just happened, except for Quinn, whose girlfriend might have admitted she was a murderer right before committing suicide in front of him 1,000 years ago. There's a reason none of that's in the previously on montage. Second, I have a minor worry that the writers are going to treat the bathroom murder as trivial. I hope not. Dexter killed an innocent man in an emotional rage, with disregard to any witnesses being present, and in a way that must have DNA evidence everywhere.

I'm also worried that Angel will continue to have little or nothing to do. The writers are doing the best they can to follow up on the ill-advised marriage subplot from last season.

Finally, I noticed that at least two writers from 24 (Manny Coto and Chip Johannessen) have joined this serious. It's hard to know what effect they'll have on the long run of this series.

This season is supposed to be a bunch of mini-villains instead of one big bad.

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I think they're finally ready for Dexter himself to be the big bad of the season.

One can only hope that he was able to dispose of the crime scene properly after his post-kill rally. He had the boat nearby, so maybe he was able to dispose of the body unseen. I think this is not at all certain based on his state of mind at the time however.

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It just seemed so out of the blue that I'm sure there's some bigger agenda that the writers have in mind.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the writers are going to deal with Astor in the story. I wouldn't be surprised that of all the unkillable characters who might discover Dexter's secret, she would be the first. Something is definitely afoot in how Astor and Dexter's relationship is going to be developed.

Speaking of Vince, I would have expected more hestitation on his part against "ratting out" Dexter as the jealous husband to Quinn, who Vince should realize isn't Dexter's friend and is not the right person to confide in.

Vince is essentially saying he thinks Dex murdered Rita; that isn't something you just babble randomly. If Vince really thinks that, he needs to go to LaGuerta. If he isn't willing to do that, he should have the sense to stfu. Starting a rumor that he isn't willing to follow through on, about someone who's always been his friend, seems to be too pointlessly malicious to fit Vince's persona.

I know it was a plot convenience, but the writers should have made more of an effort to create a plausible scenario: Vince lets Deb in on his suspicions, Deb of course shoots it down, Quinn overhears; Vince is drunk; or some other mitigating factor.

Until now, his worst offenses have been a) killing a pedophile who arguably wasn't an ongoing threat

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I don't remember him killing the pedophile. Didn't he just run him off?

Anyway, I'm already very much enjoying this season. The only thing that sort of bugged me was when Debra said that Trinity leaves no traces behind. Was she not privy to the fact that they discovered the cremation ash at all the scenes? I mean it wouldn't be at Rita's murder scene, as it's all gone now, but the statement still bugged me